Work Ethic

FOXBOROUGH -- The car was unreliable, pocked with rust, perilously close to qualifying as a lost cause. Ty Warren planned to resurrect it. He pinned his hopes on that car, a late-model Malibu with too many miles and too little tread left on its weary tires. If he could get it running, he would be able to transport himself to and from his job, to school, to practice, back home. He could also carve out his own tiny slice of independence, to provide an occasional escape from a suffocating load of responsibilities.

With just over a quarter to play and Concord-Carlisle cutting into Wayland's lead, the Warriors' sophomore superstar stepped up and forced her way to the net to regain control on the match. Amy Cunningham may be young, but with 59 goals through 12 games, she is well on her way to becoming one of the top players in the state. The sophomore's ability to take over a game was evident with her 10-goal performance in a 17-6 win over Waltham and a nine-goal performance in a 18-6 win over Bedford.

Steve Hogan is a senior captain of the Tri-County Regional Vocational football team, its leading tackler, and a returning Mayflower League All-Star. But there are weeks that he has been late to practice nearly every day. His work in the classroom is not the issue. And he is determined to be prompt. But every other week, as part of his vocational training, Hogan travels to Trethewey Brothers Inc. - a plumbing contractor in Roslindale known for its work on the television program "This Old House.

Buckingham, Browne & Nichols coach Rory Morton recalls watching Chris Coadyin the Division 1 East final at Harvard Stadium two years ago. The sturdy St. John's Prep defenseman was quick with his hands, whether he was scooping up a ground ball or throwing a spear of a check into the chest of an opposing attack, forcing a turnover. He was never one to shy away from using his monstrous frame to send a foe to the turf. Morton liked what he saw. A short time later, he was pleased to learn that Coady, determined to play collegiate at an elite Division 1 program, both academically and...

FOXBOROUGH - Most days, Aaron Hernandez goes through the many tasks all football players must attend to, his focus on practice or the weight room or film study. But there are days when he realizes if he turns around he'll be looking at Tom Brady and Deion Branch, players who, not so long ago, he watched on television while growing up in Bristol, Conn. "Honestly, sometimes I sit back and think about it - it is definitely a dream come true," Hernandez said yesterday. "I'm playing with a lot of the players that I watched, like Deion Branch, Wes Welker, Tom Brady, so it's...

PITTSBURGH - The silence is almost as frightening as the anger. Because with the anger, with the yelling, comes the certainty that he cares, that Kansas State coach Frank Martin wants his charges to get better, to succeed, to become the basketball players and men he believes they can be. The silence? They're not quite sure what that means. "When he's on you, you know he cares," junior guard Rodney McGruder said. And he's on them quite a bit. As Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said on Friday, "I wouldn't want to have him mad at me. " But at the same time, Boeheim,...

Newton 18-year-old Andrew Chin had convinced himself there was no reason to pay attention to Major League Baseball’s amateur draft early this month. The star southpaw from Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge once dreamed of being selected by a big-league team. But the 6-foot-1 senior pitched only five innings this spring and underwent Tommy John surgery last month to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. The dream, he thought, would have to wait.

Seven years ago, NBA veteran Mike Bibby began mentoring and working out a gangly kid from Kentucky he thought had the potential to play in the league. The Hawks point guard definitely has an eye for talent, as that kid, Rajon Rondo, not only made the NBA, he made his playoff debut against Bibby and Atlanta Sunday night for the Celtics. "You never know what the league is looking for and what the league wants," Bibby said. "But looking at him, I figured he could make it. It's not up to me, but I knew he could be here.

Selectmen last week issued a proclamation to retiring animal control officer Linda Kippenberger, who has left the Milton Police Department after 16 years. Officials acknowledged Kippenberger's years of service to the town, said she had demonstrated a work ethic that is hard for others to emulate, and had easily won the respect of everyone around her. Kippenberger began her career as a volunteer at the Milton Animal Shelter. A retirement party was held recently. - Michele Bolton

The Ashland Business Association will award a $1,000 scholarship this spring to a graduating high school senior who demonstrates a good work ethic, motivation, creativity, and commitment to business and community interests. The scholarship is available to students who live in Ashland, regardless of which high school they attend. The application deadline is April 27. For more information or to fill out an application form, visit the association's website, www.ashlandfirst.com. - Rachel Lebeaux

Melrose High star bound for WNBA Even as a senior at Melrose High, in 2007, Shey Peddy was pretty clear in her vision. "She told me that she wanted to play professional ball," recalled Rob Ferrante, the girls' basketball coach at Melrose. From Mission Hill to Melrose High, then Wright State, and finally, the last two seasons, a starring role at Temple University, the 5-foot-7 guard was projected as the 38th pick in the WNBA Draft earlier this month. Her agent, though, felt she could go higher.Much higher.

After Shawn Loiseau's freshman season at Merrimack College, during which he saw limited time on defense for the Division 2 football program, he met with coach John Perry. Perry meets with his student-athletes at the end of every semester to discuss their short-term and long-term academic and athletic goals. When he sat down with Loiseau, the Shrewsbury-raised linebacker who was his first recruit when Perry took over at Merrimack, the linebacker wrote, "I want to play in the NFL. " Perry knew Loiseau could be a high-level college player - he first saw him...

Time magazine's annual Time 100 - which annually pays tribute to 100 people who've helped "inspire us, entertain us, challenge us, and change our world" - is out and it includes a few folks of local interest. Like who? Overnight NBA sensation - and Harvard alum - Jeremy Lin, Newton-bred comic Louis C.K., MIT engineer Donald Sadoway, and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, whose brief bio is written by Bain Capital cofounder Bill Bain. "Mitt's work ethic, analytical mind and devotion to family and country are a cocktail for success," enthuses Bain.

The New Jersey Devils are returning to the playoffs on the run and with a new young hero. Ilya Kovalchuk scored twice, Stephen Gionta broke a third-period tie with his first NHL goal and the Devils beat the Ottawa Senators 4-2 on Saturday to close the regular season with a season-best six-game winning streak. "It's one of the things we talked about," said Martin Brodeur, who made 31 saves. "We wanted to get into the playoffs playing well. We've played as good of hockey as anyone else in the league.

TAMPA - The fact that Boston College is in the Frozen Four shouldn't come as a shock. The Eagles have advanced this far five times in the last seven seasons, and 10 times in the last 15. However, the 2011-12 edition has surprised many, including coach Jerry York. After losing four-year starter John Muse in goal and a plethora of goal scorers (Brian Gibbons, Cam Atkinson, Joe Whitney, and Jimmy Hayes, who combined for 167 points last season), it appeared the squad would be decent, but not necessarily championship-caliber.

Pat Summitt may have coached her last game for the Tennessee Lady Vols, but her impact on college basketball, and on sportsmanship, will endure. As the longtime head coach of the University of Tennessee women's basketball team, Summitt led her team through 38 seasons, won eight national titles, and coached in the Olympics. Her charisma, work ethic, and fierce competitiveness helped to raise the profile of women's sports. And her commitment didn't diminish when she revealed last year that she was suffering from early-onset dementia.

After Shawn Loiseau's freshman season at Merrimack College, during which he saw limited time on defense for the Division 2 football program, he met with coach John Perry. Perry meets with his student-athletes at the end of every semester to discuss their short-term and long-term academic and athletic goals. When he sat down with Loiseau, the Shrewsbury-raised linebacker who was his first recruit when Perry took over at Merrimack, the linebacker wrote, "I want to play in the NFL. " Perry knew Loiseau could be a high-level college player - he first saw him play while he...

A year ago, Syracuse guard Dion Waiters was having a hard time making the math work. His minutes were sporadic. He couldn't crack the starting lineup, no matter how well he played. "I would score 9 points in the first half," he said, "then I wouldn't play the second half. " It was ego-bruising. Waiters was considered by some a street-ball legend in Philadelphia, where he grew up. But he also had a high school track record that was hard to pin down because he went to four schools.

PITTSBURGH - The silence is almost as frightening as the anger. Because with the anger, with the yelling, comes the certainty that he cares, that Kansas State coach Frank Martin wants his charges to get better, to succeed, to become the basketball players and men he believes they can be. The silence? They're not quite sure what that means. "When he's on you, you know he cares," junior guard Rodney McGruder said. And he's on them quite a bit. As Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said on Friday, "I wouldn't want to have him mad at me. " But at the same...